Hayward Ranck Duo

First Unitarian Church, SanFrancisco, CA

February 23, 1988

One of the most interesting aspects of researching program notes is discovering connections between the pieces. For example, Mozart, the composer of the first piece on tonight's program, was married to Constanze Weber, a relative of Carl Maria von Weber, the composer of the opera Der Freischütz. Taffanel used themes from this opera in his Fantasie, this program's penultimate piece. Here's another interesting connection: except for Muczinski, every composer on this program was closely associated with opera (while Taffanel wrote no operas, he played in and conducted the Paris Opera Orchestra). There is a strong dramatic sense in all of the works on tonight's program, which reflects this close association.

In addition to these unforgettable facts, the following are a few notes on the composers and pieces featured on the program tonight. Thank you for coming and we hope you enjoy the concert.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. Salzburg 1/27/1756, d. Vienna 5/12/1791) wrote his K. 380 Piano Sonatas in 1781. This was soon after he arrived in Vienna with high hopes for making a success there. Work was progressing on Die Entfüihrung aus dem Serail ;as was his relationship with Constanze Weber (see above). The piece on tonight's program is a transcription of two movements from one of these sonatas. The original is in in Eb and has been transposed to G.

George Frideric Handel (b. Halle, 1685, d. London, 1759) was an accomplished organist and harpsichordist. In addition to these skills, he also studied oboe and violin. As a young man, Handel traveled throughout Europe and absorbed the national styles of France and Italy into his own compositional technique. In 1792 he moved to London where he enjoyed a great success as a composer of Italian opera and, later, of oratorios. In spite of his blindness in his later years, he continued composing, producing 19 solo sonatas in addition to his operas and orchestral works.

Friedrich Kuhlau (b. Ülzen near Hanover 9/11/1786) d. Copenhagen 3/12/1832) was a Danish composer and pianist of the late Classical and early Romantic periods. He fled Hamburg in 1810 upon Napoleon's invasion and moved to Copenhagen where he was subsequently appointed musician to the Court. In 1825, on a concert tour to Vienna, Kuhlau met Beethoven with whom he exchanged canons (see Beethoven's canon Kuhl, nicht lau WoO 19). He began his musical studies during convalescence from a childhood accident where he lost an eye. Kuhlau is the composer of several operas and orchestral works, in addition to his many chamber pieces and compositions for the piano.

Robert Muczinski was born in Chicago on March 19, 1929. Baker's Biographical Dictionary describes his music as follows: "[Muczinski's] style follows the trend of French neo-classicism without the chromatic elaboration but containing some polytonal passages."

Muczinski studied at De Paul University with Alexander Tcherepnin.

Paul Taffanel (b. Bordeau 9/16/1844, d. Paris 11/22/1908) was a flutist, conductor and composer. He was a pupil of Dorus and won 1st prize at the Paris Conservatory in 1865. He played in the Paris Opera orchestra from 1864-1890, and was appointed conductor there in 1892 (the first non-string player appointed to the post). In 1893 he succeeded Altès as Professor of Flute at the Conservatory. In addition to his compositions for flute and woodwind quintet, he wrote, with his pupil, Philippe Gaubert, the “flutist's Bible” the Exercices Journalieres.

Albert Franz Doppler (b. Lvov, 10/16/1821, d. Baden 7/27/1883) was also a flutist, composer and conductor. Having made his debut in Vienna at the age of 13, he made frequent tours with his brother, Karl. Franz was first flute with the Pest Opera Orchestra and in 1858 became the Court ballet conductor. Among his other accomplishments figure a professorship at the Vienna Conservatory from 1865 until his death, and the composition of 15 ballets and 5 operas.